BurbleChaz

We have finally managed to acquire mobile phones. If my own kidneys had telephonic capability, I would cheerfully have removed them both with spoons rather than go through this. It would have been cheaper, less painful and considerably less messy.

If you want a bank account here, you stroll in to a branch, and they start opening accounts until you make them stop: 'How about one for the gun running? Would you like better returns on the drug money?". Setting up banking here is not a stressful thing. Getting a mobile phone is a different story.

We dropped into a mobile shop the other day to ask what we would need. One of the pre-requisites is a bank account. Since we didn't have one yet, we decided to come back once we had them. We should have been more specific, The full list if things needed to get a mobile handset in Australia are:

• Passport
• Credit Card
• Australian Driving License
• Evidence of address
• Eye of Newt
• Chaudron (Tigers preferred)
• Blunt knife
• Spare organs (previous item will be used for extraction if needed)

It seems we spent the whole day sorting out our phones. First, we had to go and get some evidence of where we lived. Then, we handed over passports, credit cards, debit cards and bank details. After a 20 minute wait, we went and got some lunch. 25 minutes later, we had passed the intercontinental credit check. Because it would have taken another 40 minutes to get handsets, we went back to work.

Eventually, we went back and picked up new handsets. Mine is a Nokia N70. It is so smilar in design, style and capability to my 6680 that I can't tell them apart.

Once we had put our spiffy new toys on charge, we blundered across the road to the pub. It was a lot busier than it has been during the week. After a few minutes, we joined up with some people from work. This was fun, but I suspect we drank a bit more than we would have done without the team.

Anyway, my new Australian mobile is: +61(0)430013520

On the plus side, we both passed credit checks. This may (or may not) make renting a place easier. Now we've got a bank account, mobile phones and a hire car, we're hoping that flat hunting will be at least possible.

Go Team Hobbyhorse!